Medical records, social work, nursing, computer systems, and teaching are among the professions offering good opportunities for prospective employees with disabilities, according to a new report from job search portal CareerCast.
“The past year brought positive job prospects to this sector of the workforce,” says Kyle Kensing, online content editor, CareerCast. “Unemployment rates for people with a disability dropped last year and robust job prospects for people with a physical or mental impairment are projected by the BLS.”
The positive job market outlook for information technology positions translates well to those with disabilities. Technological companies have been trend-setters in hiring practices for people with disabilities. Computers systems analyst, a highly-ranked field per CareerCast’s Jobs Rated report, currently has a 3.2 percent prevalence of employees with disabilities. By 2022, the BLS forecasts growth to more than 20,000 with disabilities working as computer systems analysts.
Along with IT, health care careers rate among the Jobs Rated report’s best each year. Some of the health care industry’s most promising prospects for candidates with disabilities include pharmaceutical technician and nursing. The BLS estimates that 7.3 percent of the registered nurse workforce has a disability, and the total number of employed with disabilities in the field is expected to grow by almost 55,000.
Similar growth in the business sector is anticipated, both at the early-and-mid career levels, as well as in upper managerial positions. Administrative assistant positions are forecasted to grow by 22.9 percent for candidates with disabilities.
The following are 10 of the best jobs for candidates with disabilities in 2015, per the Jobs Rated report.
|
Job |
Annual Median Wage |
Projected Growth Outlook |
% of Employed with Disabilities |
|
Administrative Assistant |
$35,330 |
12% |
4.8% |
|
Computer Systems Analyst |
$79,680 |
24.5% |
3.2% |
|
Counselors |
$44,040 |
20.6% (total workforce) |
5.5% |
|
General and Operations Manager |
$95,440 |
12.4% (total workforce) |
3.6% |
|
Management Consultant |
$78,600 |
18.6% (total workforce) |
18.6% |
|
Medical Records Technician |
$34,160 |
22% |
26.4% |
|
Pharmacy Technician |
$29,320 |
20% (total workforce) |
5.4% |
|
Registered Nurse |
$65,470 |
19.4% (total workforce) |
3.5% |
|
Social Worker |
$44,200 |
18.8% (total workforce) |
5.2% |
|
Teacher |
Elementary/High School $53,420; Postsecondary $62,390 |
12.3% / 16% |
3.2% / 3.9% |
Employment figures for candidates with disabilities are provided by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.
